Grave-vault



(No Model.)

D. N. .STIN SON. GRAVE VAULT.

Patented Apr. 19, 1887.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID N. STINSON, OF WEST POINT, MISSISSIPPI.

' GRAVE- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 361,466, dated April 19, 1887.

Application filed March 31, 1886.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known. that I, DAVID N. STINsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at West Point, in the county of Clay and State of Mississippi, have invented new and useful Improvements in Grave-Vaults, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to burial or grave coffin receptacles; and my improvements consist in making the same of a numberof sections of plastic material or of slabs ofgranite, marble, and similar non-destructive material having their vertical edges united by interlocking joints rendered water and air tight by the subsequent interposition of a layer of cement poured in between them after being joined. In connection with sealing the vertical joints at the four corners by vertical columns of cement poured in after the sections are joined, the horizontal edges of the side and end slabs are grooved to receive cement and are secured in grooves in the top and bottom slabs, whereby the joining of the slabs is sealed by a continuous or encircling line of cement,

as shown'in Figure 3 of the drawings.

An inner closure formed of slabs with intervening spaces between the side and end walls may be used with a separating body of cement.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. l is a perspective view of a burial-case embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a plan view with the cover removed; Fig. 3, avertical section taken on the line as m of Fig. 2. Fig. 4. shows one of the side and end slabs separated, and Fig. 5 a cross-section on the line y y of Fig. 2.

The bottom A has a groove, a, formed therein close to its edges for the reception of the head and foot sections Band sides 0, respectively.

The end sections, B, have vertical dovetail grooves 12, Fig. 4, near their ends for the reception of the dovetail ends of the sides 0. These grooves b are preferably undercut or expanded near their bottom, and the ends or tongues c of the sides are made of a corresponding shape to form an interlocking joint. In the ends of the sides 0 are formed vertical grooves d, which may be formed wholly within the ends of the sides 0 or within the end sections, B, or partially in each, as desired.

In constructing aburial-case the end sections,

are set in place and the sides set in the grooves VAU LT.

Serial No. 197,259. (No model.)

formed therein. This, it will be noticed, while forming an interlocking joint between the side and end sections, does not make a water-proof or air-tight junction. .This air-tight joining I accomplish by pouring a self-setting cement in the liquid form into the grooves d, which, penetrating every fissure and crevice and permeating the smallest interstice, forms, when set, asolid air-tight joint, and impervious to moisture. The side and end sections when in position have a continuous groove, Fig. 3, in

their upper and lower edges for the reception of a cement or similar adhesive medium, to make a close joint between them and the bottom and cover F, which latter has a groove, f, in which the upper ends of the several sections are seated.

This case is designed to replace the ordinary brick vault or pine box in common use, and it may be used either beneath or on top of the ground. In case it be desired to lower it into the ground, the bottom and top are provided with metal loops 9 near their edges, to which the lowering-straps may be attached. These loops are embedded or molded into said top and bottom when made of plastic material; but, in case they be slabs of slate or marble, said loops may be secured in holes drilled therein.

The vertical grooves d intersect the horizontal top and bottomgrooves, f and a, and form a continuous joint of cement at the j oining-line of the slabs; but to obtain a perfect exclusion of the air and water from the inclosed body an interior closure may be made by side and end walls, '5 and j, seated in groovesk in the bottom slab and covered by a top slab, G, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5.

The inner closure when used is separated from the outer walls by an intervening space ures, the inner one is completed before the outer one is closed, and both are formed upon the bottom slab.

To erect the vault-The excavation having 5 been made, put down the bottom slab and fill its surface groove with cement. Then set the side pieces in the bottom grooves. Then set down the end pieces with their dovetail face grooves interlocking with the ends of the sides. 1 Then fill the vertical grooves, d, with liquid cement. Then set down the slabs of the inner closure upon the bottom and fill in the space between the inner and the outer closures with cement in a liquid state. The vault is then I ready to receive the casket and to be closed by the two covers with air-sealed joints, binding and securing all the parts together. Burial vaults have been made of molded slabs of cementitious material joined by tongues and 2c grooves and by dovetailing with and without cement joining; and wooden caskets have also been made in which the top and bottom and the horizontal edges of the sides and ends have been provided with corresponding grooves to 2 receive a cement joining and fastened together by screws passing through the top and bottom in the grooves containing the cement, which is thereby caused to be squeezed up in the holes around the screws to make an air-tight joint; but, so far as I know and can find, slabs ofstone or molded slabs for grave-vaults have never been j oi ned at the vertical and at the horizontal joints by a continuous encircling cement joint in which the slabs are also interlocked by dove- 5 tailing at the four corners of the vault, and

bound and sealed by vertical columns of cement at the four corners. In such a structure I may use an interior closure encircled by a wall of cement within the vault proper, whereby to 0 insure a perfectly water and air tight closure having double walls with intervening walls of cement.

I claim- 1. The herein-described method of securing together the several sections of a burial-case,

which consists in first placing the sections in position. leavinga vertical groove or space, d, between the four meeting corners, then pouring a self-setting cementitious substance into said vertical grooves, which, permeating every interstice, insures an air-tight and water-proof continuous joining.

2. A burial-case composed of a number of side sections held together by interlocking tongue-and-groove joints, leaving an unobstructed vertical groove or space, d, between the end of one section and the grooves of the adjacent sections, which space, being filled with a cementitious material, forms a solid water and air tight joint, substantially as set forth. 6o

3. The herein-described water-proof airtight vault, consisting of the slab-sections joined at the vertical walls by interlocking joints 1) c d and a layer of cement encircling the joining of the several slab-sections, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

4. The grave-vault herein described, consisting of an outer and an inner closure formed ofjoined slabsections separated by an inclos- 7o ing vertical wall of cement, thejoining of the sections of the outer closure being an encircling line of cement, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

5. The grave-vault described, consisting of 7 the end sections having the vertical face .grooves b, the side sections having the vertical end grooves, d, the side and end sections having the edge grooves, and the top and bottom slabs having the face grooves, the several vertical slab-sections being secured by dovetailjoints and encircled by ajoining of cement,

as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DAVID N. STINSON.

Vitnesses:

T. B. DALTON, J. A. OAROTHERS. 

